Mysterious light in the sky explained

SOUTHERN UTAH – A strange light in the sky was seen across Washington County and beyond Saturday night. The origin of the light appears to have been a naval firing test out of California.

The light appeared around 7 p.m. and began to fade about 10 to 15 minutes later. During that time, the St. George Communications Center confirmed it had been slammed with calls from people wondering what it was.

One call to the dispatch center mistook the light for a possible plane crash on state Route 59.

The light, described as a blue, smoky object by some, is the result of a naval fire test off the coast of California, according to Fox 13 News, which cited a Tweet from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

“#OCSDPIO: Light seen in OC sky was confirmed through (John Wayne Airport) tower to be a Naval test fire off the coast. No further details,” the Sheriff’s Department tweeted.

According to naval spokesman Cmdr. Ryan Perry, of the U.S. Navy’s Third Fleet, the missile was not armed, and the military tends not to announce missile tests ahead of time.

The light was seen over parts of California, Arizona and on into Utah and threw social media into a frenzy as people tried to identify what the light was. Many called the light a UFO, which isn’t far off, as it was an unidentified flying object.

Initially, the light was thought to be a part of a meteor shower, according to Accuweather.com.

Known as the Taurids meteor shower, the event will create flashes of light as the meteors streak across the sky. The meteor shower is expected to reach its peak by Wednesday night, according to the Accuweather.com article.

Brad Kitchen, St. George Regional Airport operations supervisor, said he wasn’t aware of any aircraft in the sky that would cause the aerial anomaly. However, he noted airport officials were aware of Nellis Air Force Base conducting some exercises in the desert, though they aren’t sure what kind.

“I have heard that they are doing some kind of operations out there, but whether it’s related to that light, I don’t know,” Kitchen said.

St. George News Assistant Editor Cami Cox contributed to this article.

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Riena, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Riena, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah. Photo taken near Pipe Springs, Arizona, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Shauna Black Hammon, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Brian Cooper, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Cassidy Alldredge , St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Cassidy Alldredge , St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Chris Shamo, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Darla Baird Fox, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Dustin Riddle, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah. Photo taken at Kanab, Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Jill Williams, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Kirsten Kur Snow, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Scottie Earl, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Tera Pettus, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Tera Pettus, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Tera Pettus, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Richard Johnson, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of April O'riley McManus , St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Julianne Beecher, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Kathy White Hunsaker, St. George News

A strange light over the skies of Southern Utah turned out to be the result of a naval missile test fired off the coast of California. The light was seen across southern California, northern Arizona and over Southern Utah, Nov. 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Kathy White Hunsaker, St. George News

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About the Author

Mori Kessler serves as a Senior Reporter for St. George News, having previously contributed as a writer and Interim Editor in 2011-12, and an assistant editor from 2012 to mid-2014. He began writing news as a freelancer in 2009 for Today in Dixie, and joined the writing staff of St. George News in mid-2010. He is also a shameless nerd and has a bad sense of direction, often telling people go left while he is pointing right. Numbers greater than five also confuse him.

6 Comments

Do you realy expect us to believe a missile lunched off the coast of California, can be seen in Utah? We have grown to expect the the government to lie to us about this kind of thing. But they must realy think we are stupid. At least they did not say it was a weather balloon. I have no idea what it was maybe some kind of experiment out in area 51, or Nellis. But it is obvious they do not want us to know what it realy was…

A little math can easily clear this up. A Trident II missile will reach an altitude of 93 – 249 miles during its boost phase (and 750 miles for a full range flight). See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercontinental_ballistic_missile for details. Let’s use the lowest figure. 93 miles is 491,040 feet. Using Pythagoras’s theorem and the radius of the earth, we can calculate that the rocket will be able to be seen by someone roughly 863.6 miles away (http://www.ringbell.co.uk/info/hdist.htm). We’re roughly 370 miles (as the crow flies) to the Pacific Ocean. So even if the missile was launched from 100 miles off the coast, and was tilted away from us, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be visible from southern Utah. No conspiracy.

My question is this: If a submarine was testing a missile launch from out at sea, why would they aim the missile over the Los Angeles basin and then send it to Utah and beyond? Where did this missile end up?? Why wouldn’t they test it over the ocean, away from population centers and air traffic??

Sounds to me like a simulated missile attach interception test. (hum) Lets see, Who would loft a bird from off the coast to our homeland? Think about it. Put down your i phone- quit reading your Facebook messages and watching porn and get connected to reality. Don’t bother asking the White House, No one there gives a C______.